


Faint Heart Never Won Fair Maiden

by Geonn



Category: Rizzoli & Isles
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Dragons, F/F, Knights - Freeform, Princes & Princesses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-02
Updated: 2012-03-02
Packaged: 2017-11-01 00:32:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/350025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geonn/pseuds/Geonn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The price of a kiss...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Faint Heart Never Won Fair Maiden

The guards in the watchtower were the first to see the brave knight's return. The retinue had been two dozen strong when it left the palace gates five months earlier, but now there seemed to be fewer than half remaining. The royals were alerted to the return but there was no word if the quest had been successful. By the time the lead carriage reached the palace, the gates were standing open and the brave knight who had led the charge led the way into the courtyard. 

Everyone held their breath until she twisted in the saddle and hoisted one of the bags onto her lap. She untied the rawhide strings to open the satchel, reached within, and gripped the horned crest of the dragon's head. She lifted it into the air and a cheer ran through the crowd that shook the stone walls of their home. 

The dragon had terrorized the farmers in the kingdom for nigh ten years, striking in the dead of night. It stole food from the fields and burned what it didn't eat, it plucked cows from their pens until no one felt safe allowing their cattle to graze. The bravest knights in the kingdom were conscribed to kill the beast, but it had finally come down to the last willing volunteer, the one least likely to succeed. Many had scoffed at sending a woman to fight such a monster but the girl knight had asked such an insignificant reward that the king could hardly refuse.

The king and queen waited for the knight to reach them, and she dropped the dragon's head at their feet. She wearily dismounted, and the knights who had survived alongside her did the same. The knight stepped forward and took her knee in front of the king. She bowed her head in deference and rose when he gestured for her to do so.

"Despite insurmountable odds and the doubt of your fellow townspeople, you have succeeded. Well done, well done indeed! You have slain the dragon."

"It's actually not a dragon." The knight removed her helmet and waves of dirty blonde hair fell into her eyes. It was center-parted, darkened by sweat so that it clung to her forehead and cheeks, cut short so that it only reached to her throat. She blinked the sweat from her eyes before gesturing at the head lying on the ground at her feet. "The technical name is _basiliscus plumifrons_ , or plumed basilisk. You can tell by the blue spots along its... dorsal ridge." She caught the confused gazes of the royals and stopped herself from speaking further. "But that's not important."

"Well," King Francis Rizzoli said with a tight smile. "Whatever the proper identification is... you have saved this kingdom from ruination. A new day has dawned!"

Another cheer went up.

"At a great cost, your Majesty." Maura lowered her gaze. "The battle was hard-won, and many of our men did not survive."

"Yes, it is an unfortunate price to pay. Their memory, and their sacrifice, shall be honored at a banquet tonight." He took Maura's hand between both of his. "You shall be the guest of honor, of course, Brave Sir Maura."

Maura smiled and dipped her head to King Francis and Queen Angela. They began to turn away and Maura cleared her throat. "Your Highness. There is a small matter of recompense. My promised reward."

The King's smile wavered. He glanced at his wife and cleared his throat. He had obviously only agreed to the terms because he doubted he would ever see Maura's face again and he would never be called to make good on the oath. Maura had seen it in his eyes when she told him the reward she required. Not gold, nor land... 

_"One kiss from your daughter, the fair Princess Jane." Maura had glanced at the woman sitting beside Angela on the throne. Some in the kingdom thought the princess severe, her demeanor harsh. But now her lips curled into a private smile and she looked down at her hands. Maura, kneeling before the royal family with her helmet tucked under her arm, awaited the king's response to her request._

_"Very well," Francis said, waving his hand dismissively. He wore a smile similar to his daughter's, but it was the only truly cold expression in the room. He'd have agreed to harness the moon. "A kiss from my daughter shall be your only reward."_

_"It is the only prize I require, your majesty." She stood and risked another glance at Princess Jane. Jane winked, and Maura's heart soared._

_For a kiss from those lips, she would face an army of dragons._

Francis finally spoke. "A feat as magnificent as this, as outstanding as this, requires an equal reward. You shall be granted an island barony, the finest I have to give, along with the wealth that goes with it." He smiled as if waiting for gratitude.

She swallowed and tried to hide her disappointment as fatigue from her long journey. She could hardly turn down such a generous gift, and Francis knew how it would look if she tried. She blinked back tears. "Thank you, King Francis."

"You have been assigned guest quarters, and my handmaidens have been told to treat you as a member of my family. Rest, and recuperate from your quest before tonight's honors. You have saved this kingdom, Baroness Maura of the Isle. For that we could never repay you properly."

 _And it seems you never will,_ Maura thought darkly. The King and Queen turned and left, and the crowd began to disperse. Maura stood next to her mount, the dragon's head gathering dust at her feet, and nevertheless felt as if she had lost.

#

Her armor, stained by the blood of her fallen comrades and dented from battle, was removed and laid aside. Maura wore a rough undershirt and drawstring pants, barefoot as she stood before the basin of fresh water. She was weak and heartbroken, devastated at being denied her promised reward. She had been away long enough that the wounds incurred during the battle had nearly become scars. She washed away the dirt and dried sweat, erasing the miles she'd trekked with a single-minded goal. It had all been worthwhile, but now it seemed like a horrible waste of time.

"He didn't lie."

Maura's heart seized in her chest as she spun to face the door. Princess Jane was there, having slipped inside without a sound. Her presence announced, Jane closed the door and the lock clicked into place. Her hair was smoothed back against her head and bound so that it fell over her shoulders in a single dark wave. The bodice of her dress was square-cut and crossed by dark laces. The sleeves ballooned at the shoulders and tightened around her wrists, her fingers currently bare of the jewelry she wore when holding court.

Maura dropped hard enough that the wooden floor hurt her knee as she bowed her head. "My lady."

"Oh, goodness. Stand up. You're making a fool of yourself."

Had there been derision in the voice, Maura might have been humiliated. Instead it was the playfulness she had come to expect from the princess during their furtive meetings in the palace garden. She rose and clasped her hands behind her back, feeling naked in her underclothes compared to Jane's gown. 

"To what do I owe the honor of your presence, your majesty?"

"Jane. I told you to call me _Jane_."

"I'm sorry. It's hard for me not to honor you."

Jane blushed and tried to hide it by looking around the room. She'd never been in Maura's private chambers before and she... "Is that a tortoise?"

Maura looked down at her pet. "Yes. I rescued him from a pack of wild dogs who were moments away from figuring out how to break his shell."

Jane moved closer, bridging the distance between them with casual and small steps. "Always the hero, aren't you, Maura?"

"I only do my duty."

"Is it? Your duty? Does it still count as duty when you are denied your sworn reward?"

Maura averted her eyes. "I have been granted a reward most would kill for."

"But it was not what you were promised."

"I would be a fool to refuse it. Your father is a generous man. The fault is mine for asking such a... pittance in exchange for such a great quest."

Jane was close enough that she could whisper and Maura could still make out her words. "Do you think it such? What you asked for, was it a pittance?"

Maura finally managed to meet Jane's gaze. "No. I would take it over the king's throne if given the opportunity."

Jane smiled and looked down, suddenly shy. Maura stared at the spot between Jane's eyebrows, the only safe place to lay her gaze. 

"Well, then. Brave Sir Maura. You are in luck. As baroness, we are of equal station."

"As well as equal gender," Maura reminded her even as Jane began stroking the curls of her hair. Maura's eyes drifted closed and she turned her head toward Jane's right hand. She kissed the flat part of Jane's wrist, just below the heel of her hand. "Milady."

Jane's breath was rough. "My father's decision was cruel and unjust." She dropped her hand to Maura's chin and held it between her thumb and forefinger. "Allow me to make amends."

Maura held her breath as Jane's lips brushed hers. First the top lip, at which Maura opened her mouth in response, and then with slightly more pressure against the bottom. Maura tilted her head to the side and her nose bumped against Jane's as the princess reciprocated. Their mouths found a perfect fit, and Maura finally exhaled as she curled her tongue against the tip of Jane's. She had kept her hands clasped around their opposite wrists from the moment Jane appeared, but now she released them to grab Jane's waist.

The kiss was tender but greedy, and Maura furrowed her brow as she attempted to remember every sensation without sacrificing the intimacy of the moment. Jane's breath tasted of cider, a crisp apple taste that made Maura drunk. Her fingers curled in the fine material at Jane's hip as Jane teased Maura's tongue with her own. Finally, in need of air, the princess pulled away.

Maura's eyes remained closed and her lips parted for a long moment following the kiss. When she finally faced the real world again, she saw that her dream remained true. She smiled and lightly kissed Jane's lips once more just to confirm it was real, to confirm the moisture on Jane's bottom lip had indeed come from her.

"I hope the reward was sufficient, Baroness Maura of the Isle."

"No." Maura's voice was strained and weak. "I fear you have overpaid, milady, and I must find another dragon to balance the coffers."

Jane grinned and kissed Maura's cheek. Maura gasped and closed her eyes. "Do you know what that was, Maura?"

"Our first kiss." The words sounded magical, like an incantation for something wonderful.

"Precisely." Jane's voice was nearly imperceptible, and Maura thrilled that she was standing close enough to hear it. "Our first kiss... not our last." She kissed the tip of Maura's nose. "For now, you have a banquet for which you must prepare. I shall save a dance for you."

"Your father--"

"Can leave the room if he doesn't approve. My mother has given her blessing, and that is enough for me."

Maura took Jane's fingers in her hands and brought them to her lips. She kissed the knuckles of Jane's right hand, then the left, then pressed them to her cheek. 

"I love you, Jane."

Jane kissed the crown of Maura's head. "I know. And I must apologize. I arranged all those chance meetings, all those walks in the garden, all of our secret talks in the furthest corners of the palace in an attempt to make you feel a fraction of what I felt for you. Can you ever forgive me?"

"Never, milady." Maura smiled, and Jane chuckled. 

"Then I shall be forever in your debt, Baroness Maura. I shall see you this evening."

"Yes. You will."

They reluctantly parted and Jane turned to the door. She twisted the lock quickly and slipped from the room without looking back. Had she done so, she would have seen the tears shining in Maura's eyes and the thrilled smile on her face and she would have remained. Had she done so, they both would have missed the banquet and incurred the further wrath of the king.

Maura sighed, trembling with delayed reaction to what had just happened. She walked back to the basin of water, dipped cupped hands under the surface, and brought them to her face. She closed her eyes as she let the water flow over forehead and through her hair like a benediction. What had been an impossible dream for the apothecary Maura would simply be an uphill battle for Baroness Maura of the Isle. Just another heroic quest.

She wasn't frightened. It was a quest she would gladly spend the rest of her life following.


End file.
